Editing Generation X (section)

====Impact of family planning programs====
[[File:US Live Births Registered and Legal Abortions Reported 1970-1980.png|thumb|upright=1.1|U.S. Live Births Registered and Legal Abortions Reported 1970–1980]]
The [[birth control pill]], introduced in 1960, was one contributing factor of declining birth rates. Initially, the pill spread rapidly amongst married women as an approved treatment for menstrual disturbance. However, it was also found to prevent pregnancy and was prescribed as a contraceptive in 1964. "The pill", as it became commonly known, reached younger, unmarried college women in the late 1960s when state laws were amended and reduced the [[age of majority]] from 21 to ages 18–20.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Golding and Katz|first=Claudia & Lawrence|date=August 2002|title=The Power of the Pill: Oral Contraceptives and Women's Career and Marriage Decisions|journal=Journal of Political Economy|volume=110|issue=4|pages=730–770|doi=10.1086/340778|jstor=10.1086/340778|s2cid=221286686|url=http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:2624453}}</ref> These policies are commonly referred to as the Early Legal Access (ELA) laws.

Another major factor was [[abortion]], only available in a few states until its legalisation in a 1973 US Supreme Court decision in ''[[Roe v. Wade]].'' This was replicated elsewhere, with [[Timeline of reproductive rights legislation|reproductive rights legislation]] passed, notably in the UK (1967), France (1975), West Germany (1976), New Zealand (1977), Italy (1978), and the Netherlands (1980). From 1973 to 1980, the abortion rate per 1,000 US women aged 15–44 increased from 16% to 29% with more than 9.6&nbsp;million terminations of pregnancy practiced. Between 1970 and 1980, on average, for every 10 American citizens born, 3 were aborted.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Stanley K|first=Henshaw|date=2008|title=Trends in the characteristics of women obtaining abortions, 1974 to 2004|url=https://www.guttmacher.org/report/trends-characteristics-women-obtaining-abortions-1974-2004-supplemental-tables|journal=Alan Guttmacher Institute|access-date=18 June 2020|archive-date=14 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614065016/https://www.guttmacher.org/report/trends-characteristics-women-obtaining-abortions-1974-2004-supplemental-tables|url-status=live}}</ref> However, increased immigration during the same period of time helped to partially offset declining birth-rates and contributed to making Generation X an ethnically and culturally diverse demographic cohort.<ref name="Adweek">{{cite magazine|last1=Klara|first1=Robert|title=5 Reasons Marketers Have Largely Overlooked Generation X|url=http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/5-reasons-marketers-have-largely-overlooked-generation-x-170539|access-date=19 June 2016|magazine=Adweek|date=4 April 2016|archive-date=1 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201061147/http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/5-reasons-marketers-have-largely-overlooked-generation-x-170539|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Cohort confusion">{{cite news|last1=Markert|first1=John|title=Demographics of Age: Generational and Cohort Confusion|url=http://www.sitemason.com/files/dW3ABy/articledemographics%20of%20age.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915033316/http://www.sitemason.com/files/dW3ABy/articledemographics%20of%20age.pdf |archive-date=15 September 2012 |url-status=live|access-date=19 June 2016|publisher=Journal of Current Issues in Research & Advertising|date=Fall 2004}}</ref>